


Bittersweet

by mildlyproductivetrashbag



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Game Characters, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Game, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 13:06:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10697628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mildlyproductivetrashbag/pseuds/mildlyproductivetrashbag
Summary: Ten years.Ten years have passed since N last saw him. But he never forgot. Not for one moment did he forget him. His voice, his smile, his face.But now it's time to face the facts. It's been ten years, and nothing is the same.





	Bittersweet

N heard him first, before he saw him. He could still recognize that voice, even after all these years. How could he not? He turned around slowly, his heart pounding and anticipation building in his chest. And there he was, standing behind a white picket fence and playing with his Pokemon. 

He hadn't seen Hilbert for more than ten years, but seeing him now, so happy and content, was more than worth the wait. There was his old friend, familiar and yet foreign all at the same time. Unruly brown hair and compassionate eyes, there were just some things he couldn't ever forget.

N began to run, a grin slowly forming on his face, but he stopped dead in his tracks when an unfamiliar voice rang out and called for Hilbert. A blonde walked out of the house with a plate of cookies and walked over to his old friend. 

Hilbert stood up to face her and in doing so, he finally noticed N. His eyes widened, and he froze completely before turning round and dashing into the house. The woman looked confused, until she saw him. Understanding dawned on her, and a soft look came into her eyes. She shook her head when she noticed him coming closer. Then she turned and followed Hilbert into the house.

He ached to run after Hilbert and comfort him as he once did, all those years ago. Every nerve in his body clamored for him to chase after his friend. It took every ounce of self control he had to stay rooted in his place. Because he no longer had that privilege. He'd lost it the moment he left. He knew that. Despite this, it did nothing to alleviate the pain. It still hurt. He was a stranger now. He was no longer welcome in the joyful life that Hilbert had carved out for himself.

N simply stood there, unable to decide what to do next. Unbeknownst to him, Hilbert was watching him depart. The brunette stood hidden behind the curtains, and watched sadly as his old friend waited. The man had stirred up so many memories, some painful, some delightful but none were unwanted. How many years did he spend looking for him? How many nights were wasted weeping and sobbing for someone he wasn't even sure was alive? How long did he spent wallowing in despair? 

He'd already lost count.

And yet there he was. N Harmonia, in all his glory. Years have passed, and the man somehow still looked as young and innocent as the last time they met. There he was, standing in front of his house, as if nothing had ever happened. He couldn't force himself to move. His feet were rooted to the ground. So he just stood there, watching his friend for what seemed like hours. Sometime during this, he was vaguely aware his wife had tried to pull him away, murmuring words he didn't understand. He barely twitched in response, and eventually she left him alone.

He watched N until the man turned and left.

Hilbert broke down with a sob. Tears streamed down his cheeks of their own accord. He didn't care. Years upon years of repressed emotion burst through the walls he had carefully constructed, and he just stood there, sobbing his heart out. The shadows lengthened and enveloped him in their comforting darkness. He was glad for it. He didn't want to see how pathetic he must have looked, crying and pining for a man who would always be out of his reach. 

It seemed that some things never changed. Even after a decade, N could still make him feel things he never had before. Despair was a familiar companion, but now it was torture. He was tired. He was supposed to be moving on with his life. He was supposed to be done grieving for his long lost friend. He &deserved to be happy. But the universe was rarely so merciful. 

"Go after him." His wife said softly. 

He glanced at her. She was standing over him, a pitying look in her eyes. When did she get there? 

"Go, Hilbert. Don't let him leave again." She held out her hand and leaned closer. He could see it was trembling, and he sighed. He wasn't the only one affected by N's disappearance, and he had to remember that.

With great effort, he wiped away his tears and took her hand. She pulled him up. He wobbled uncertainly for a few seconds, but a hand on his shoulder steadied his movements. They stared at each other, an unspoken agreement between them that whatever happened next, they would still be friends, occurred. She smiled gently, albeit with a hint of sadness and finally let go of his hand.

"Go."

He ran. He ran faster than he thought he was capable of, slamming the front door open, and dashing across the yard. His Pokemon glanced at him curiously when he ran past them and out of the yard.

"N!" He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. Where had he gone? He couldn't have gotten far on foot.

Not more than a minute later, he found him. N was walking down the road leading to town. At the sound of his name, he whipped around and opened his mouth in shock at the sight of Hilbert barreling down the path towards him. He was barely able to get a word out before the brunette jumped and tackled him to the ground with a hug.

"H-Hilbert?!" N's eyes were wide and disbelieving. Out of the many scenarios he'd imagined would happen when he returned, this wasn't even considered as a possibility. He'd expected anger, confusion, betrayal, he'd even considered hatred. Not joy, however. Never joy. And yet, Hilbert was laughing and hugging him so tightly that he could barely breathe.

It was as if he was trying to make sure N wouldn't disappear. With a grim chuckle, he realized that it was probably the case. When his friend's face came into view, he was even more shocked to see tears staining his face. He was... crying? 

With a start, he realized that he was too. 

For what seemed like an eternity, they stayed there, unmindful of their environment. All that was important was what was right there in front of them, and they sure as hell weren't going to let each other out of their sight. Not for anything in the world.

The two were together again, and that was what mattered.

Everything was right in the world.


End file.
